Picking up the Pieces
by KaibaGirl17
Summary: After nearly two years of separation, the Arclight siblings have found one another once again. But things are different know. One fluff, two parts angst. Enjoy and no flaming.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Shin Yoshida is the brilliant mind that created the Arclight brothers that we all know and love...and Vetrix too. I am not Shin so I have absolutely no ownership claim on any of the characters whatsoever (Damn it all).

...

Christopher Arclight couldn't sleep. Ever since his father, Byron Arclight, and his younger brothers, Thomas and Michael, had been taken away from him, it felt like his life was on a downward spiral. His family was torn apart and he had been working with Dr. Faker, trying to find out where his father was. Or find out what happened to him.

He had been like an older brother to Kite and Hart, Dr. Faker's two young sons. But it wasn't the same. He desperately missed his precious little brothers, especially considering he hadn't seen either of them in almost two years. His seventeenth birthday was fast approaching and soon after would be Thomas' fourteenth and then in another couple of months, Michael's eleventh. But what did any of that matter? It hurt to think of his brothers sitting in an orphanage, feeling abandoned.

"Chris?" a voice suddenly broke into his thoughts. "Are you awake?"

The eldest Arclight brother sat up and saw Kite, Dr. Faker's oldest son, standing in the doorway of his room, looking worried.

"What is it?" Chris asked, sitting up.

"Can we talk?" Kite questioned.

"Of course," Chris nodded, intentionally neglecting to tell Kite that he couldn't sleep anyway. But Kite could probably tell, he was a smart boy.

"I'm worried about Hart, he's been acting unresponsive," Kite sighed, sitting beside Chris on the bed. "And my father keeps telling me to leave Hart alone so he can recover properly. I don't know what to do. I don't want anything to happen to him."

"Don't worry," Chris said, putting a hand on Kite's trembling shoulder. "Your little brother's a strong kid, he'll be alright."

Kite smiled slightly.

For the next half hour, the two talked about dueling, Kite's father, the other duelists like Dextra and Nistro, and soon the topic came to Thomas and Michael.

"Do you ever miss your brothers?" Kite asked.

Chris closed his dark blue eyes and nodded.

"Every day," he sighed. "I just wish I knew where they were, who they were with, just to make sure that they're safe, happy, and together."

Kite said nothing. He couldn't imagine if he and Hart NEVER saw each other. No wonder Chris never wanted to talk about his brothers.

Chris stood up without a word and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Kite asked.

"Out," was all Chris had to say.

...

Chris wandered the streets of Heartland City aimlessly as the sun slowly rose over the city. His talk with Kite still lingered on his mind. He wanted his brothers back by his side so he could look after them. He could never forget that night they were taken away. He could still see their sad faces and tear-filled eyes. But he couldn't hate his father. He wouldn't just leave them. Something **had** to have happened.

_'Where are you?'_ he asked, despite knowing he would never receive a real answer.

That's when he saw the boy. He couldn't believe his eyes. Could it be...?

"Michael?"

The boy turned at the mention of his name. Chris recognized the big, emerald green eyes and the curly pink hair...

"Chris! Big brother!"

The little boy ran to Chris, threw his arms around his waist, and hugged Chris so tightly he thought his head might come off.

"I missed you!" Michael cried, tears streaming from his eyes .

"I missed you too," Chris said, hugging his little brother back. "It's alright now, Michael."

"T-Thomas got s-sent to a f-foster home," Michael hiccuped, wiping his eyes. "He left sometime last year."

This hit Chris. He had hoped that Thomas, the middle child, had been there too.

"Do you have any idea where he is?" the silver-haired teen asked his youngest brother.

Michael shook his head sadly.

"Well, I have today and tomorrow off work, so let's look for him," Chris said, picking up his brother.

"We haven't done this since before Father disappeared," Michael said, laying his head on Chris' shoulder.

"No, we haven't," Chris said. "Where were you heading?"

"Nowhere," Michael answered. "Not really. I was adopted and my new family wanted to leave Heartland City...but I didn't want to leave you and Thomas so I...I ran away..."

"You did what?!"

"I'm sorry. But the lady at the orphanage said Thomas' foster home was here in the city, but she wouldn't tell me where. So when I ran away, I tried to find Thomas."

Chris' pale eyebrows arched.

"When did you run?"

"Last night."

"That was very dangerous, Michael," Chris frowned. "Anything could have happened to you. Very bad people walk these streets at night, people who hurt children."

Michael whimpered. Chris felt guilty, he didn't want to scare Michael, he was just warning him of the danger he had put himself in.

"Well, the important thing is that we found each other," the older boy sighed. "Now let's find Thomas."

Michael rubbed his eyes sleepily, but refused to close them.

"Don't worry, I won't let anyone take you away from me again," Chris promised, squeezing one of Michael's hands gently. "I promise this time we'll stay together."

...

...

So, how was it? Let me know, guys.

The next chapter will be in on August 15th.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Here is the second chapter as promised. I wish to say thank you to Riptide 449, theabridgedkuriboh, Akiza Blackmore, and Durbe the Barian for the reviews on the previous chapter. I hope everyone enjoys this new chapter.

Disclaimer: Still not Shin Yoshida, still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal.

...

Chris sighed as he walked home after a long day at Heartland Tower. He had enjoyed his afternoon dueling with Kite as he always did, but today he just couldn't wait to get home.

For the last week it felt like Chris Arclight had two lives. There was the life where he worked for Dr. Faker and was like an older brother to Kite, comforting the younger boy when he was distressed over not being able to see his sickly brother.

Then there was his life as Michael Arclight's older brother. He would pick Michael up from school after work and the two would search the city for their brother. But each time it ended up being a fruitless attempt.

As he came closer to the school, he could see Michael sitting on the front steps, waiting for him.

The child looked his way and grinned.

"Hi, big brother!" he chirped, jumping up and running down the steps two at a time.

"How was school today, Michael?" Chris asked, patting Michael's head as his younger brother hugged his waist.

"I passed my multiplactions test," Michael beamed.

"I had a feeling you would," Chris smiled. Of course Michael passed, he was very smart for his age. Chris had always been too. Thomas was smart too, but he seemed to channel his intelligence into mischief.

Thomas...

'_We'll find him_,' Chris told himself before looking down at his brother.

"Michael, we need to go to the hospital before we go home," he said.

"Why?" Michael asked, looking confused and then worried. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Chris said quickly. Dr. Faker just wanted me to pick up some medical supplies. The tower's running low again."

"Okay. Then can we try to find Thomas?"

Chris nodded and the two went off.

...

"Poor boy. He's gonna be here a while."

"His father did that to him?"

"Foster father. His real father took off and left the kid and his brothers behind."

Chris had just finished picking up the supplies Faker had wanted when he heard two doctors gossiping about a kid who had been recently hospitalized.

"Yeah, that's got to be rough. Be taken from your family and then put in the hospital."

Chris said nothing. No...it couldn't be...

When the doctors walked away, out of sheer impulse, Chris hurried over to the door before it closed. He could just make out a head of dark red and yellow hair.

"No..."

...

"Is there a boy named Thomas Arclight in this hospital?" Chris asked.

The receptionist, a young woman with auburn hair and amber eyes, frowned.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"My name is Christopher Arclight, Thomas Arclight is my little brother," Chris explained. "I need to know if he's here."

The woman could see the urgency in Chris' eyes and hear it in his voice.

"Let me see what I can do," she said, trying to ease the pain of this young man in front of her.

"Thank you," Chris said before turning and sitting down beside Michael.

Soon after, she managed to find out that there was in fact a child by the name of Thomas Arclight in the hospital and informed Chris of this. The eldest of the Arclights was beyond grateful. After a year and several months of searching, he finally would have both of his brothers back.

...

Chris and Michael slowly entered the room where their brother was staying and saw immediately how badly Thomas was hurt; his face was bruised as if it had been beaten against something over and over, his right arm was in a cast and bound against his chest in a sling, and his left leg was also in a cast and propped up on several pillows.

"Thomas..." Chris couldn't believe that the injured child was one of his kid brothers. This child had been brutally abused.

Thomas was sleeping but he kept moaning and squirming in his sleep.

"Thomas, it's alright now," Chris whispered. "Thomas."

He reached out and laid a hand on Thomas' side.

At his brother's touch, Thomas screamed and his eyes flew open.

His eyes widened even more when his gaze fell on his brothers.

"Oh man, I'm dreaming again," he groaned, covering his bruised face with his good hand. "This is..._just a dream_...Isn't it?"

"No...Thomas...it's real," Chris said, his hand still on Thomas' side.

Thomas began to cry, his shoulders shaking.

"Someone...someone please wake me up!" the injured child screeched.

"Thomas," Chris whispered, placing both hands on his brother's shoulders.

Thomas felt himself beginning to calm down.

"It's really you..." he said, looking up at Chris. "Chris...Big brother...I can't believe it's really you..."

Chris nodded and smiled down at his brother.

"It's alright now," the silver-haired teen said. "We're back together."

"We missed you," Michael said, sitting at the edge of Thomas' bed, tears of joy and worry falling from his emerald green eyes.

"I missed you too..." Thomas whispered, tears forming in his scarlet. "Both of you..."

"I missed both of you too," Chris said, setting Michael in his lap and taking Thomas' good hand. "More than you'll ever know."

At that moment, Chris noticed that Thomas' left eyeball was bright red. He would have to ask about that later. When Michael was asleep, Chris would have to have a talk with Thomas. It would be painful, but it would give Thomas some closure and help Chris understand what the middle Arclight child had gone through during their period of separation.

...

...

So, how was this new chapter? Let me know, everyone. And the next chapter will be out on August 27th.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Here is chapter 3. I extend my thanks to Riptide449, Ariette5, Durbe the Barian, akiza blackmore, and theabridgedkuriboh for all of the reviews on chapter 2. I hope you guys enjoy this new chapter.

Disclaimer: Still not Shin Yoshida, still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal.

...

After Michael left for school, Chris went to the hospital to visit Thomas. At first, he felt a little guilty about leaving Michael out, but he reminded himself that Thomas was in the hospital for a reason and Chris needed to know what had happened. Surely Thomas was troubled by what had happened and needed someone to talk to. And who better to talk to than his older brother?

When Chris got to the hospital, he immediately went to Thomas' room.

As he oppened the door, he winced. Seeing Thomas look so small and helpless still got to him.

"Father?" Chris felt his heart wrench as Thomas reached out with his trembling, cast-encased hand. The pain medication and his injuries were playing with his mind.

"No…" Chris whispered.

Thomas's hand drew back and his eyes closed. "No...you're gone...aren't you, Father?"

"It's me," he said softly. "It's Chris."

"Hey, Chris," Thomas smiled slightly.

"Hi," Chris smiled and sat on the bed beside his brother, slowly taking his uninjured hand. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'd be better if Father was here," Thomas replied.

'_If Father was still here, you would have never been here in the first place_,' Chris thought, but he didn't voice this. It would only make Thomas feel worse.

Thomas squirmed, trying not to move his injured leg.

"Thomas, you're in pain. You need to relax so you can heal properly," Chris told his brother.

"I'm afraid to close my eyes," Thomas whimpered. "I'm afraid that if I do...you'll leave like Dad did and...never come back..."

"I have to get Michael from school," Chris sighed, nervously raking a hand through his lavender fringe. "But I promise I'll be back with him right after school."

"Okay..." Thomas whispered tiredly.

...

"You came back..."

Thomas smiled as Chris and Michael came into the room, Chris carrying a large bag.

"What's that?" Thomas asked.

"I missed you," Michael said, hugging Thomas carefully.

"I missed you too...How was school?" the red-and-yellow haired boy asked.

"It was okay," Michael answered, sitting at the foot of Thomas' bed. "I have to take a history test Friday."

"Kind of makes me feel good about not going to school now," Thomas grinned.

"Very funny," Chris said.

"I'm tired..." Michael yawned, rubbing his eyes. "But I want to stay here...with both of you..."

Chris picked Michael up and wrapped him in a warm blanket before lying him in the recliner in the corner near Thomas's bed.

After setting Michael in the recliner in the corner, Chris brought out the blankets and extra pillows he had packed for Thomas to make him feel comfortable and hopefully more at home in his hospital room until the doctors allowed his brother to take him home.

"Everything's alright now," Chris whispered to Thomas, lifting his brother's cast-encased hand from the bed and holding it gently in his own.

Thomas smiled softly and lied back in his pillows as Chris comforted him.

"You promise you'll stay?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, Thomas, but I need to take Michael home," Chris said, trying to ignore the pained look on Thomas's face. "But I'll be back first thing in the morning."

"Okay," Thomas tried to hide his disappointment as his older brother picked up his little brother and left.

...

...

So, what did everyone think of this brand new chapter? Feel free to let me know.

And the new chapter will be out on September 5th.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Here is chapter 4, the chapter that was meant to be out a few days ago and I promise this will be the last time a chapter is late. Anyway, thanks to Lee-Lee2306, akiza blackmore, Durbe the Barian, theabridgedkuriboh, and Riptide 449 for all of the reviews on chapter 3. I hope everyone enjoys this new chapter.

Disclaimer: I haven't managed to find anyway to claim ownership on any part of Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal or any of the characters, that honor is possessed by Shin Yoshida.

...

Chris found Kite at the latter's little brother's bedside, like he had known he would. But little Hart wasn't in bed like he should have been. He was in Kite's arms. Again.

"Last I checked," Chris quipped, closing the door behind him, "The term bed rest meant something like letting Hart get his rest. In bed."

"He was awake again," Kite sighed. His eyes never left the sleeping child he was holding. "He keeps crying in his sleep and I just feel so useless because I can't do anything to stop them..."

"He relaxes when you're here," Chris noted. "Don't think I haven't noticed. Every time he has a nightmare or he's sick, whenever you're with him, he completely relaxes."

Kite smiled slightly in spite of everything and ran a hand through Hart's soft, light blue hair.

"He means everything to me," the older Tenjo whispered, hugging his kid brother closer to him. Hart squirmed a little in his sleep but then snuggled against Kite's chest before smiling and sighing peacefully in his sleep.

"It's obvious," Chris said, putting a hand on Kite's shoulder. "And I can tell you mean everything to him too."

"I know I shouldn't be here," Kite admitted. "But I had to see him...he needs me...I haven't seen him in days and I was really worried about him."

"You're right," Chris told him, remembering Thomas and Michael and how they needed their older brother during this hard time, especially with Thomas being injured. "Hart's going to need you to be there to comfort him and take care of him. After all, you're his big brother. Take it from a big brother, it's what we do."

Kite smiled gratefully.

"Besides," Chris added with a hint of a smirk. "I knew you would sneak in even if Heartland and your father forbade you from coming. With your intelligence I wouldn't be surprised if they had no idea you were here."

"They don't know," Kite grinned, knowing Chris would keep this a secret. "And I'm going to keep it that way."

"Well, I'll let you get back to caring for Hart," his friend told him, giving his shoulder a squeeze before getting up and leaving the room. "Don't get caught."

...

Thomas slowly opened his eyes. He felt detached and numb due to the intensity of the medication the doctors had been given him. He drifted in and out of consciousness, but at least he didn't feel the pain of his injuries.

The fourteen-year-old Arclight felt isolated and troubled. If this sort of thing had happened back before his father disappeared, he would have been lying in his room at home with his head in his father's lap while being told that he was okay and everything would be alright. But there was no chance of that happening now. His father was gone.

Thomas stared up at the ceiling tiredly. He felt scared and alone. He wanted his big brother.

Suddenly, the door opened and Thomas was relieved and happy to see that it was the very person he wanted to see.

"How are you feeling, little brother?" Chris asked as he entered the room.

"Tired...and sore..." Thomas groaned. "Where's Michael?"

"He's at home," Chris answered, sitting down beside his brother. "I got someone to babysit him."

"Oh..." Thomas's scarlet eyes slowly rolled around in his head. It was clear that he was still somewhat drowsy from the pain medication.

"You'll be alright," Chris said. He seemed to be saying that a lot, it was almost as if he were trying to convince himself as well as assure Thomas.

Thomas sighed and tried to make himself comfortable, but that was rather challenging when laying on a hard, cold, and uneven hospital bed. Luckily, the soft pillows and warm, fluffy blankets that Chris had thoughtfully brought him provided some comfort.

Chris wrapped his arms gently around Thomas, drawing him back against his chest, burying his head in Thomas's neck and hair.

"Thanks, Chris," Thomas whispered. "For making time for me...I thought...you didn't care about me anymore..."

This stunned Chris. How could Thomas have thought he didn't care about him? He had been going crazy searching for him...he had done everything he could to comfort him while he was in the hospital...he only left him to spend time with Michael...wait...maybe that was it...Chris only spent an hour with Thomas before spending the rest of the day and the night with Michael. He needed to spend more time with Thomas...and it was time to start now...

"So you can stay here with me?" Thomas looked hopeful.

Chris nodded and placed his hand on his younger brother's and gripped it loosely.

Suddenly, Thomas pulled his hand away and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"You need to get some rest," Chris smiled slightly as he tucked Thomas in more snugly.

"Stay with me," Thomas pleaded, grabbing Chris' arm.

Chris was surprised. Thomas had always been a snarky young teenager but now he had been reduced to a scared little boy.

After a few minutes, the older Arclight brother let out a sigh, kicked off his shoes, and carefully laid down beside his brother. Thomas wriggled out of his blankets, trying to keep his injured leg still and snuggled close to Chris.

That's when Chris became aware of just how much Thomas was shaking. It was clear that his baby brother was badly frightened and needed someone to care for him and comfort him.

The silver-haired teen Arclight laid beside his brother, tending to him silently, tears of regret dripping down his cheeks and Thomas smiled up at him.

"Don't cry," the child whispered, wiping Chris's eyes with his good hand.

Chris kissed Thomas's cheek softly and Thomas's eyes closed as he snuggled close to his brother.

Suddenly, a low rumble protruded from Thomas, startling Chris.

"Sorry," Thomas looked embarrassed.

"What was that?" Chris asked.

"My stomach," Thomas answered quietly. "The man they gave me to couldn't take care of a kid if his life depended on it."

"He never fed you?"

"Only when he thought of me...course...I always tried to stay out of his way or..." Thomas looked at the cast covering his hand and knew he didn't need to say anything more.

"I'm sorry," Chris sighed. "You don't have to worry anymore. You're safe with me again."

"I know," Thomas smiled slightly.

Chris hugged his brother carefully, mindful of the latter's broken arm.

"Good night, Aniki," Chris heard Thomas whisper before both brothers laid down beside one another and drifted off.

...

"Chris! Get up!"

Thomas was pushing his older brother with his good arm, crying as a sharp pain coursed through his body.

Chris mumbled something but didn't open his eyes.

"Chris! Chris, please get up!" Thomas' cries were growing louder. "Please, get up! **CHRIS, GET UP!**"

"What's going on?" Chris asked as he finally woke to find his brother pushing against him, tears streaming from his scarlet eyes. "Thomas, what's wrong?"

"Chris..." Thomas' voice shook with stifled sobs.

"Are the painkillers wearing off? Do you need me to get a nurse?" Chris was getting worried.

"No," Thomas moaned. "My leg! Chris, you're **ON MY LEG!**"

Chris gasped and jumped up, realizing that while he was asleep, he had rolled over onto Thomas's broken leg.

"I'm so sorry, little brother," the older Arclight whispered, wrapping his arms around Thomas. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

Thomas glared at him and jerked away from him.

"Get out," he growled.

"Thomas-"

"I SAID GET OUT!" Thomas grabbed a pillow and hurled it at Chris.

Chris was about to protest when he caught sight of the clock and realized that he needed to be getting back home .

Without a word, the silver-haired adolescent left the room and hurried out of the hospital.

...

A few days passed and every time Chris tried to visit Thomas, his brother's nurse, a woman named Marina, told him that Thomas didn't want see him.

So, Chris worked for Dr. Faker even more, trying to keep from thinking of how much he was worried for Thomas. He wanted to forget everything.

At least until he glanced at the clock and remembered Michael.

...

"Michael?"

Chris had arrived at the school an hour later to find Michael sitting at the foot of the steps in front of the building, his head down.

"Michael, are you alright?" Chris asked, crouching down beside his youngest brother. It was then that he noticed that the child was shivering.

"Some kids from class picked on me," Michael told him, looking up at Chris and the latter could see that the little boy was crying. "They took me to the pond on the other side of the school and kept me there until their parents came to get them and they said they'd beat me up if I told the teacher."

Chris' eyes widened.

"I was looking for you...but you never came..." Michael wrapped his arms around himself to try to gain a little warmth, but it was hard considering his clothes were still damp.

"Come on, let's get you home," Chris said, pulling off his coat and putting it over Michael's shoulders before taking his hand and leading him to their home.

They had just rounded the corner when Michael asked if they could stop.

"I just need to sit down for a minute," the small pinknette said, sounding out of breath.

"Michael, are you sure you're alright?" Chris asked, sitting down beside his brother, whose shaking had increased.

"I'm sorry..." Michael apologized, lowering his head. "I think I'm just tired...It's not a big deal..."

Chris examined his brother's face and gasped.

"Michael, your eyes are starting to puff up," the older boy sounded alarmed. "They're watering a little too."

"I'm okay, big brother," Michael whispered softly as he rubbed his eyes. "I'm just a little cold and tired..."

Chris picked his brother up, held him close to his chest, and headed for home.

When they got home, Chris helped Michael out of his wet clothes and after Michael cleaned himself up, he changed into his pajamas and climbed into bed.

Not even an hour had gone by before little Michael began to feel a bit dizzy and achy. Chris was starting to get concerned. The days were growing shorter and the weather was growing colder, both of which increased the chances of Michael falling ill.

...

...

So, what did everyone think? Let me know.

The next chapter will definitely be out on Friday, October 17th.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: As promised, here is chapter 5. Thank you to Ariette5, Lee-Lee2306, theabridgedkuriboh, and Durbe the Barian for the reviews on chapter 4.

Disclaimer: I do in fact own Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal and its characters...Was that even remotely believable? I didn't think so. No, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal, or the characters, and I'm not Shin Yoshida so I have no claims on anything pertaining to Zexal.

...

Chris yawned and rubbed his eyes. He hadn't realized that he'd fallen asleep beside Michael's bed. The clock beside the bed told him that it was seven in the morning, almost time for him to go to work at Heartland Tower. But he couldn't work for almost ten hours straight like he did when Michael was at school when Michael was sick and stuck at home. The girl who had babysat when Chris visited Thomas had gone off to school somewhere out of the city and Chris could think of no one else to look after his brother. He only had one option; he had to ask Dr. Faker if he would allow the oldest Arclight brother to have some time off so he could look after his sick sibling.

Chris was sure that there wouldn't be any problem. After all, Chris hadn't missed a day of work in almost a year. And besides, Dr. Faker was a good man. Chris's father had worked with him before his disappearance and the doctor had even taken Chris in and offered to help him find his father or find out what happened to him.  
"Michael, I'll be right back," Chris promised as he pulled on his coat.

"Okay," Michael whispered weakly. The poor pinknette's eyes were still red and puffy from the day before. And as if that weren't bad enough, a few hours after coming home last night, Michael soon came down with a bad cough, a fever, a plugged nose, and nausea.

Chris tried to convince himself that Michael would be alright. He was only leaving for a little while. He would ask Dr. Faker for some time off, explain why, and maybe pick up some medicine for his brother before coming back home.  
Michael curled up under the soft layers of blankets that Chris had covered him with. The small boy felt sleep tugging at his eyelids as he reassured himself that his big brother would be back home soon.

...

"I still can't believe the boy hasn't figured it out."

Chris had just come to the door of Dr. Faker's private office when he heard Mr. Heartland, a man who worked with Dr. Faker, speaking.

"Oh please, that boy still has no idea that his father's missing because of me," Dr. Faker laughed. "He still says he is happy to work for me because of his father. He thinks I'm going to help him find him! Like _that's_ ever going to happen!"

Chris's eyes widened. Had he just heard right?

"Yes, if the boy knew that he was working for the man who sacrificed his father to another dimension," Heartland continued in a mocking voice.

"I said that all that mattered to me was achieving my goal of finding that portal," Faker went on. "Do you think I care that Byron left behind a couple of brats?"

Chris couldn't believe this. His father had trusted Dr. Faker...and his disappearance...the reason Chris and his brothers were torn apart...that was his fault...

The silver-haired teenager turned and hurried to his work area. He had to get his things and get out of here...

...

Chris hurled himself against the door of his work area and he began throwing things across the room, trying to keep himself from crying. He never acted like this, but he wasn't thinking clearly. He kept hearing Dr. Faker and Mr. Heartland's voices and cruel words in his mind, filling his heart with grief.

That's when he saw his reflection in the window. He saw the side braid that he kept his hair in and was reminded of his father. He remembered that he had begun braiding his hair as soon as it was long enough because he wanted to be like his father.

Overwhelmed by anger and grief, Chris yanked the band holding his hair in the braid and shook his hair loose.

After that, he began packing the few things he possessed before taking his leave.

"Chris?"

Chris turned to see Kite standing in the hallway, looking worried.

"Chris, what's wrong?" the younger boy asked.

"I'm leaving," Chris growled before hurrying away.

"Chris! Wait!" Kite called, following his mentor all the way out into the rain.

Chris only quickened his pace. He had to get out of here. There was nothing for him here anymore.

"What's wrong? Why are you leaving?" Kite asked.

Chris stood where he was, saying nothing.

"Talk to me!" Kite urged, grabbing the older boy's arm.

Chris lowered his head. Then he turned and buried his fist in Kite's stomach. The younger boy fell to the ground, staring up at him in disbelief. Chris had never struck him before!

Feeling somewhat remorseful for what he had done but too angry to apologize, Chris gave Kite a terrible look and walked away, leaving the older Tenjo behind and never looking back.

As he made his way through the rain-covered streets of the city, something dawned on him: he hadn't visited his brother Thomas in almost three days. But Thomas had made it clear he didn't want to see his older brother. Besides, Chris needed to be getting back to Michael.

...

Michael sat up, groaning. He felt worse than he had when he fell asleep. He felt hot and itchy and he kept feeling sick to his stomach. Where was Chris? Was he going to leave too?

...

...

So, how was this new chapter? Let me know.

The new chapter is set to come out on Saturday, November 1st.


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